


Patient is the Night

by urcringeyparent



Category: Fate/Apocrypha, Fate/EXTRA, Fate/Grand Order, Fate/Zero, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms, Fate/stay night (Visual Novel), Fate/stay night - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Death, FGO - Freeform, Fate Grand Order - Freeform, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms References, One Shot Collection, War, fate one shots
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-09
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:47:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26380624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/urcringeyparent/pseuds/urcringeyparent
Summary: Collection of One-Shots for the Fate series. Updated whenever a new story is available, x reader inserts. No requests will be taken.
Relationships: Achilles | Rider of Red & Reader, Astolfo | Rider of Black/You, Atalanta | Archer of Red/Reader, Bedivere | Saber/Reader, Cú Chulainn Alter | Berserker & Reader, Cú Chulainn | Caster/You, Cú Chulainn | Lancer & Reader, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne | Lancer & Original Character(s), Diarmuid Ua Duibhne | Saber/Reader, Francis Drake | Rider/Reader, Gawain | Saber/Reader, Gilgamesh | Archer/You, Gilgamesh | Caster/Reader, Karna | Lancer/Reader, Robin Hood | Archer/You, Waver Velvet/You
Comments: 13
Kudos: 101





	1. Gawain

How foolish you were. Ever since you were young, you made foolish errors, no matter how small they were. Most of the people you knew easily blamed the blood you were made of, even when you were just a child. They disliked your name due to your loving father, the light of your life.

Mage families were stuck up, you easily claimed. He was also a foolish man, taking a non-mage as a wife. In that love, came you, a child in a happy half-mage household. How young you were to be called ‘his greatest mistake,’ the magical circuits in your blood much weaker than your father’s and his and so forth. 

You remembered even now how he didn’t bother reaching back out to those mage families again. His family meant more than silly magic, even if you would show him a trick or two in your youth. Disney among other kid series had taught you at the young age that the other families were just a bunch of bullies. Your father was a hero among warlocks, choosing to move away rather than come after those people.

It wasn’t until your mother left that you began to doubt your once happy home. The tears on your father’s face was enough to stay in your mind, managing to ruin your dreams at night in the present. Fools, however, tend to stick together.

You received extra attention after that, something you realize in your teenage years was a bitter distraction from the loss of his wife. The man hid it well, you absolutely gave him that. Maybe it was because he knew your mother had also abandoned you, pity for your young age overpowering the love he lost.

He trained you in magic, hoping that a simple legal name change would be enough to keep you from his hated name. By the age of twelve, you had outgrown Disney and its happy endings. You remember when your father told you he was going to try to make his way back into the world of mages. You remember yelling at him, only to end up allowing it.

What else could a child do?

“Did he make it?” The voice of your servant brought you back to the present.

Your eyes met his blue ones as you smiled a little. He gave you a small smile in return, expecting a good answer. “No. He tried again and again, but he failed. He…decided to eventually fight his way back in. My father didn’t come home that day. I didn’t know his plans in time to stop him, but they kindly sent me a letter stating how foolish he was.”

“I don’t know if I’d call him foolish for wanting a better life for his beautiful daughter.” Gawain spoke, setting his tea cup onto the table gently. “That’s honorable enough for me.”

A small chuckle escaped you as you thought about it. “I suppose…but his life revolved around magic for those several years. I couldn’t keep up with my magic circuits, and when he saw that, I could rarely even speak to him. I wanted my childhood father back, not some stupid place in a magical bastard’s world.”

He leaned back in his seat, eyes gazing around your home’s garden. “Then why summon me? Not that I’m unhappy here with you.” You particularly were fond of the way he looked around, seeming amazed by many things he saw.

Your mind flashed back to the day you summoned Gawain, too many things running through your mind to really concentrate. Why did you summon him? Why did you participate in this war? After thinking of that question, you chuckled. “The foolish daughter doesn’t know. My chances to win a war against skilled mages are incredibly slim, but…I don’t know why I went through with it.”

“You don’t?” He sat up, almost surprised by it. “You don’t want a wish from the grail? Everyone has a wish, even if it’s small!”

Waving your hand to relax him, thoughts rolled through your mind as you slipped another sugar cube into your tea. “Not necessarily a wish. I just want to get my father’s name out of the shadows. If I at least make a dent, I’m sure I can make him proud in his grave.”

He leaned his elbow on the table, resting a cheek in his hand as Gawain processed what you were saying. “I thought you didn’t want a spot in the ‘bastard magical world?’”

“But the foolish man wanted to, and maybe if I get his name recognized again, I can peacefully move on. The foolish daughter needs your help to do that, Gawain. Is that alright?”

It was silent as you looked at him with worried eyes. The man looked down with a shake of his head before getting out of his seat. Your eyes followed him as he crouched down before you, taking your hands in his larger ones. “I’ll stay by your side, even if the tide rises too high.”

The way his bright blue eyes looked into yours made your heart speed up, a heat hidden in your cheeks. Still, you leaned down to give him a good hug, his curls tickling your cheek. “Thank you.” You whispered before kissing his cheek as you let him go.

The way he gave you a goofy grin after that made you laugh, his cheeks were tinted a gentle pink, a rather adorable look on him. “I wouldn’t be too upset if you did that again at any point, master.”

“I’ll think about it, Gawain.” You teased him as he helped you stand up. “For now, we have work to do.”

You remembered that day well. Any day with him was wonderful, and you felt safe in your father’s home for the first time since he didn’t return. In the days he was around, you realized he was so much more powerful in the sunlight, giving you a peace of mind in the war. With Gawain’s help, he managed to take down two servants alone. He was like a god in your eyes, able to do the impossible.

“My wish is probably obvious, but I want to live life again. I thought I wanted to return back to my lifetime, but I’d only be repeating what I had done.” He admitted as he brushed your hair, something he seemed to enjoy doing.

“So you want to live life again in a different era? Well…there’s no swords and shields here, but maybe it’ll be a nice change?” You offered, somewhat hoping he would agree. Maybe you were speaking out of line to even ask.

He stopped for a moment, making you turn around to see if you had offended him. “I can think of several things in this era that could keep me here.” His smile toward you was soft, and it was hard not to give him one in return.

“The girls are pretty in this era.” Maybe you tried to press him in the direction you had no courage to lead toward. After all, even when you two had first met, you bonded through people watching. Teaching him about bisexuality was not as difficult as you had thought it would be.

Gawain chuckled as he gently cupped your cheek. “Someone in particular did catch my fancy, I admit.” There was no possible way he meant anyone but you at this point, the way he looked into your eyes with such affection. Once he saw your smile, he leaned in for the kiss, something simply indescribable.

You were a confident fool from then. You were distracted by the radiant knight of the sun, whether for his talent as a servant or being Gawain. Magic training should have been what you focused on, though you realized it far too late.

“Master, back up!” He called, running out of time before the sun completely set. He needed all his power against berserker, who would not remain dead. You followed his order, knowing his noble phantasm would most likely destroy a good amount of this land.

You weren’t far from home, only about two miles. However, you stopped running when a bullet shot the ground ahead of you. A real, non-magical bullet, almost hit you. Your legs forced you forward into the woods that led you back home. A gun would certainly struggle hitting you in the mess of trees, giving you some time to get back. 

Realizing you had a teleportation stone, you grabbed it from your pocket. You mentally cursed yourself for forgetting about it in case of emergency, a foolish girl indeed. The incantation began to leave your lips when a burst of pain hit your thigh, a loud bang off in the distance. You fell forward, the stone in hand falling a couple feet to the side.

Your lip bled with how hard you bit it, trying to move past the pain now in your thigh. As you inched toward the stone, a foot kicked you onto your back, a pained groan leaving your lips as your thigh hit the ground. 

“Gawain!” You yelled in your head as you looked up at the man holding the gun. His command seals were visibly erased, leaving you to assume his servant was one that Gawain had taken out. 

The lanky man was nicely dressed, exactly how you imagined a mage would look; somewhat aristocrat-like. “Finally, Saber’s master.” He grinned down at you as you tried to call for your servant again. “Who knew that the biggest obstacle of the Holy Grail War was the little orphan girl?”

You growled at this, this man clearly knew who you were. Before you could make a move, a blinding light spread through the woods, which you recognized as Gawain’s noble phantasm. Sending an electric-charged bolt out of your fingertip, you managed to get him off of you while he was temporarily blinded. 

You hurriedly grabbed the stone you needed before limping into a speed walk again. The incantation was almost complete when another shot to your arm made you cry out. Tears left your eyes from the pain as you were pulled by your hair onto your back again. 

You finally called out to your servant again. “Gawain, I order you to come rescue me!” 

The glow of your command seal gained the attention of the man above you. “I see…I only have a few minutes, then.” You gasped when he took out a rather large knife, and you reached up with your good hand to shoot another beam of electricity. 

It went so fast, the moment he grabbed your wrist and swung. Blood pooled from your wound onto your face and chest, the pain unbearable yet no scream could be produced. At that point, you weren’t sure how your voice worked to call out the incantation. As the red dust claimed your body, you saw the wicked grin of the man once again.

“Tell your old man in hell I killed you, too.”

You forced your eyes to remain open as you were inside your living room now, taking a small step to grab the blanket off the couch before you bled to death. Gawain would be here shortly and take you to the hospital, so you just needed to survive the next few minutes.

As you grabbed the blanket, your legs gave out, sending you to the floor face-first. The world seemed slower as you held your handless wrist in the blanket, using what mana you could to stop the bleeding. Your first aid kit was in the kitchen, so you leaned against the wall, using it to slide up onto your feet and go toward the kitchen. 

The kit sat on the table from when you had tripped while out on your walk this morning with Gawain. A much simpler time it was, only that morning. You grabbed at it and fell down to the floor with it, the contents falling out clumsily. You cursed as you dug with your only hand, blood ruining your father’s precious white flooring.

You thought you would throw up any second, the wound on your wrist a sight you could barely look at. The thought of dying right now lay on your mind as you tried to get yourself out of this mess. Your timing had not been bad until now, your vision blurring as you wrapped your wrist in a clean cloth.

The tears wouldn’t stop as you continued to do what you could while you were covered in sweat and blood. “I…refuse to let myself be killed now. I won’t die like him…!” You reminded yourself as you sat on the floor, awaiting your servant.

“(Y/n).” His voice was that of an angel’s, his blue eyes looking down at you in pity. Tears mixed in blood fell to the ground at your state, trying to pull yourself up. He simply watched as you did so, though you could barely focus on what he did.

“I really screwed this up, didn’t I?” You chuckled to yourself as you continued to cry.

Quietly, he approached you, gently pulling you into a hug. You winced, though you let him hold you close. “I told you I would be at your side…I have failed you.” 

You realized he wasn’t in his casual wear, and you looked up at him, seeing your blood on him from his hug. “My command seal didn’t even work in the end, did it? I can’t even do that right…”

“No...It was voided the moment he took your command seals.” His blue eyes teared as he saw the realization on your face, the guilt causing him to cry. “I…I…”

Your eyes didn’t waver from his even when the smile left your face. “Oh…I see. The foolish daughter killed by the same man as her foolish father, then? Bad ending, don’t you think, Gawain?”

He held you close once again, trying to talk to his master once again in his head, begging for him to save you at least. One last command made him somewhat shake as he held you. “Yes…bad end. Maybe one day, there will be a happier sequel.” He whispered, his arm shakily moving to his sword, the control from the command seal too strong for him to resist. 

Resting into him, you smiled. “I’d like that, Gawain.”

The sound of his sword pushing through your body hurt him more than the sword entering his own. “Rest up, I’ll be by your side when the tide is low again.” He said quietly, petting your hair as yellow sparks flowed from him, signaling his time was over. 

He ignored his new master’s yells and curses for his betrayal. The view of your eyes closing was enough torture for him to go back to the Throne of Heroes unhappy. 

You were foolish from start to end.

But he liked that.


	2. Merlin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I certainly wasn't expecting such a turnout for just one chapter. I'm very grateful that everyone has enjoyed the first one-shot, and I honestly completed this a couple days ago. I'm currently writing out two more, though I'm unsure when they will be available. Enjoy!

The dreams started when you were about seventeen. Nothing was weird about them necessarily, though they felt more like memories. The only problem was that you couldn’t have memories from the era you dreamed of. It was embarrassing to discuss, with how the dreams were of a romantic sort.

At first, they made you smile at the thought of a handsome man who fancied you. You were at that high school age where romance seemed to bloom for many of your friends, after all. When you told your best friend your ‘boyfriend from another time,’ he laughed it off before asking you what he looked like.

It somewhat surprised you that you could not remember anything of the mystery man besides white. You knew he was attractive, but you lost any other memory of him as most dreams tended to escape your memory soon after you wake. To be honest, it ruined what chance anyone in your school had to ask you out. Once you were in college, however, the dreams were more vivid. You could remember speaking to him now. They were just small snippets between the two of you, but it was clear you loved him in your heart. At least, your medieval dream self.

Your best friend, at this point your college roommate, continued to ask you about it. He even noted how you seemed to talk in your sleep now. He was just lucky you and he were best friends, otherwise you might have killed him for bringing it up. He paid his rent, and his partners were normally friendly people, no matter what gender they were.

The dreams after that were between pure and not so, leaving you to wake in the middle of the night with an embarrassed look on your face. You never experienced adult moments like that, even as an adult now. When your roommate brought it up, you immediately went to the doctor, red faced and nervous.

Luckily doctors have had the weirdest situations, so she prescribed you to a sleeping pill, which at first gave you a smooth night’s sleep. It helped for a while, life beginning to be normal without thinking of romantic or somewhat lewd dreams. You spent more time with your best friend with your new life, almost considering him as something more.

Until a week after your hectic next-door neighbors moved.

It was a strange time of year to be moving out of your city, halfway through the month and October. Most people moved between July and September, but you didn’t mind someone to have as an emergency contact while living in the city.

One morning, you woke up alone in the apartment, your roommate working the morning shift. You sighed as you quietly drank coffee he left in the pot for you, the silence of the apartment giving you a reminder that you were alone. It never bothered you before, but since the dreams had stopped, it was like a real relationship was on break.

Shaking your head at how ridiculous you sounded to yourself, you browsed your phone for something to do. However, you stopped upon hearing a violin. Classical music was not heard of in this apartment if it didn’t come from your own record player. The song wasn’t something you recognized, but there was a haunted feeling to it, as if you knew the notes before they were played.

Your heart seemed to flutter at the tune, a feeling you had missed for at least a week now. Upon further inspection, the music came from your old neighbor’s apartment, the only other apartment in your hallway. 

‘There’s violin music coming from the neighbor’s?’ You texted your roommate in surprise, interested in what he’d say.

Minutes passed before he sent eye emojis, making you laugh. ‘Gonna introduce yourself? Maybe you’ll get lucky!’

It seemed lucky enough to live beside an obviously talented musician, but you also couldn’t help but indulge. ‘Yeah, I’ll let you know how it goes.’ A cringe-worthy emoticon was sent to him, in which he sent a clown in response. He was your favorite person, truly. 

After getting dressed, you slowly made your way down the hall, interested in the new person next door. You took a deep breath before knocking and stepping back. The cool air hit your face as the door opened, the natural lighting from the windows much more prominent in this apartment. 

You stood in silence as you looked over this extremely handsome man. It wasn’t realistic how handsome he was, someone who probably gets paid to just exist in his beauty. His white hair cascaded down his back, his face perfectly framed with his messy curls. You met his bluish-purple eyes and gave him a smile before he thought you were strange.

“Hey, I live next door and I thought to say hello…and offer a cup of sugar when you needed.” The awkward smile on your face made you more embarrassed, as you remembered that was definitely something your mother would say.

The young man, however, smile in response. “Ah, thank you, I’m more of an introvert, so I haven’t been able to meet you yet.” He said kindly. “Did you want to come inside? I made tea.”

His British accent was somehow different than your own, though it was clear you were from the same country. However, you nodded politely and allowed yourself inside, peeking around his tidy place. He must be so new that everything was still clean. “Thank you. Oh wow, this set is beautiful!” You complimented the tea cups with the pink flowers. It was rare to see someone like him, especially with one of these cups, let alone the set.

“You could say it’s a family heirloom.” He said, sitting across from you at his table comfortably. “Ah, I forgot to ask for your name!”

His eyes bore into yours, as if searching for the answer. “(Y/n). I didn’t quite catch yours either, love.” Your grin turned upwards slightly in embarrassment, twirling your hair with your finger. “Sorry, I’m in the restaurant industry, a habit of mine.” You excused yourself quickly.

“It’s quite alright, it’s homey.” He chuckled at your words, making you relax in your spot. “My name’s Merlin-“ He stopped rather abruptly, as if he didn’t mean to say that. It definitely made you a bit more confident that he, a beautiful man, messed up somehow just like you. 

“Merlin, what a fantastic name. Were your parents hippies like mine or are they history buffs?” You asked, interested. You wished you had a grand name such as Merlin, honestly.

He gave an awkward chuckle, leaning his cheek on his hand. “History buffs, yes. I don’t normally go by the name nowadays, since Merlin is normally depicted as an old man.” He seemed to linger on that, making you wonder if he was bullied during his school days.

“Oh, I meant to ask if you played violin. I heard it from my apartment.” You didn’t hear another roommate, peaking your curiosity even more. An interesting young man to say the least.

Merlin nodded proudly, a sudden smile on his face as he set his tea down. “Yes, it’s a small hobby of mine, I hope it didn’t bother you.”

Shaking your head, you thought of him playing the instrument alone in his apartment, something you could easily find romantic. “Not at all, it was nice to listen. The old neighbors would get high and listen to loud, angry music. It’s nice to hear something different.”

“Perhaps next time, you can come over and I’ll give you a full concert!” His chuckle was soft as he offered you a chance to return to his apartment, making you blush lightly. It had a while since anyone had invited you to do almost anything, let alone a handsome stranger.

“That sounds lovely, Merlin. Perhaps sometime, you can come over to our place. My roommate would love to meet you, too.” You said before standing up. “I should get going, though, my shift is coming up soon.”

He seemed surprised by this, though he stood up to walk you out. “I’ll see you later then, (Y/n)!” He leaned against the doorway, watching you move back to your own apartment.

You couldn’t wait to tell your roommate about him, Merlin. You both worked at the same restaurant, and you normally stayed together even after you were off the clock. He was a server and you were a bartender, so work was always easy going with both of you together. 

“There’s just something about him, I mean he is beyond gorgeous, Evan.” You told him, though flicked his forehead when he made kissy faces at you. “He invited me over again, too. I should’ve gotten those pills ages ago if this was what I’m missing out on.”

“Alright, but if he turns out to be a weird creep, you owe me fifty pounds.”

The thought of gaining a free fifty pounds for being right made you snicker. “You’re on, you twat. Now go take this to table four.” Watching him go, you thought of the man next door, the strange and exquisite Merlin.

The next few days passed and you seemed to run into Merlin several times, claiming that he was lost. Was he really so charming and clumsy? You didn’t mind however, as he had a cute way of asking you for help. Small talk was absolutely pleasant with him, though when you parted from him, it felt familiar.

One night, he actually made it to your bar, Evan had told him in passing, seeing as he already knew where you lived. He was definitely a hit among the ladies, few were prettier than you by at least a mile, though you were able to speak to him on a more personal level. It made you smile when he turned away from the girls who approached him to ask you something silly about the city or about you. It made you embarrassed, yet with a smile as you felt precious, special.

Passing him a glass, you finally could talk to him without someone interrupting. “They were flirting with you, you know. Weren’t you interested?”

A small smile appeared on his face, his long ponytail partially hung over the shoulder of his turtleneck. “I have eyes for someone already, (Y/n). I couldn’t let her see me talking to anyone else.”

How forward he was seemed to surprise you. You weren’t expecting anything like that, though you tried not to mind it. Feelings were genuine, but you weren’t ready for a relationship with someone you met a couple weeks ago. Even if there was something familiar about him.

“Really?” You asked, less embarrassed than just shocked. It was obvious he flirted with you at times, but it was never much more than small talk or a walk home. Maybe he was just the type to fall right in love, not far off from your beloved best friend.

The question seemed to surprise him as well, though he just chuckled, taking a sip of his beer, looking almost repulsed by the drink. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Do you want something else? It’s okay not to like it.”

“No, no, I don’t have this kind of thing often, so I’ll enjoy it. It reminds me of a group of friends I used to hang around.” It seemed rare for him to talk about himself, more so just asking questions about you or the city. 

Interested, you leaned your hands on the bar, looking toward him. “Yeah? What were they like?”

Merlin laughed almost immediately, a pure sound when thinking of your old pals. “Chaotic. Starting fights, but they always came back together in the end. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say I missed them.” His blue eyes were fixed on the neon signs behind you, as if remembering his time with these chaotic friends. “There was also someone else, one I miss most of all.”

It was nice to hear about his friends, though it made you curious why he moved to your town if he did. What did you know about him? You pushed this aside, however. “Was it a girl?” You asked, the same teasing you used on your roommate, who was working his damn hardest for the large party in the back.

“Actually, yes.” He answered, his smile fading as he looked at the table. “She was taken a long time ago. I wasn’t around when I should have been and before I knew it, she was married.”

Your tease felt in bad taste now as you heard what he said. “I’m sorry to hear that. You’re still young, though….so I’m sure you’ll find a lovely girl.” 

“You think so?” You didn’t necessarily mind if it was you, though now it made you seem like a rebound. For now, you could just be gentle. 

“One day, yes.”

As if trying to change the subject, he took a deep breath and smiled toward you. “You said you’re done with your sleeping pills? Isn’t that grand!”

You nodded proudly, feeling weird about how that was the conversation topic he chose. “That’s right. My doctor said it may be a ‘past life’ memory or something. I’m not exactly sure if I believe in that…but after how many years, I guess I could indulge a bit.” You played with your hands, a bit embarrassed to bring it back up.

Merlin chuckled at this. “Oh, I know this is a bit tacky nowadays, but I passed a girl selling flowers. In this age, I couldn’t help but take one. Here.” He said, pulling the cut blossom out of his lap and before you. 

“She’s the little girl a couple blocks down, isn’t she? Thank you.” You blushed slightly, taking the single flower into your own hands. It was so simple, yet…familiar. Looking down at the flower, you recalled one of your dreams, the same flower given by the man in white. He was still so bright despite the dim-lighted room.

“(Y/n), are you alright?” Merlin’s voice was more distant as you focused on the man.

“Mer-“ You jumped when a hand tapped you on the shoulder, bringing you face to face with Evan, who was waiting on a liquor. “Sorry, I blanked out. Here.” Setting down the flower carefully behind you, you prepared the drink he waited for.

After taking it, he huffed as usual. “If you’re blanking out, go home. Smelly.” He was lucky he was holding a full drink, otherwise you’d punch his side, typical of your brother-sister relationship.

“You suck.” You huffed to yourself before looking back to Merlin. “Sorry, did you say something before?”

With a disappointed look, he shook his head. What a confusing man, you thought. “No, ah I should get home, actually.” 

“Wait, already? We close in a half hour; stay and I’ll take you home. Evan is going to his mum’s tonight.” You said, feeling somewhat guilty. That, and it wasn’t a terrible idea for you to walk home with someone else.

Giving a soft chuckle, Merlin agreed. He and you made small talk as per usual, though it was much more casual than before. You felt a close friendship with him, though different from Evan, as you felt that you knew Merlin forever plus some. You helped him home, partially holding onto him, as he was somewhat under the influence. He was definitely a Brit, not able to hold much alcohol.

You smiled as you brought him to his door, unlocking his apartment for him before letting him go. You didn’t doubt his confidence in finding his own bed, and you needed to get home as well. After closing his door, you readied yourself for bed. Throwing out the empty pill bottle, you cuddled into your mountain of blankets before closing your eyes. 

As soon as your eyes closed, a blinding light made you open them to reveal a beautiful flowery meadow. The sunlight was warm on your cheeks as you dropped to your knees to see the flowers. Pinks, purples, yellows…all of it beautiful. 

“You’re finally back.” You recognized the stranger’s voice behind you, the mysterious man you couldn’t remember when you awoke. The usual blinding light of his presence was no longer present, and you could make out the long white cloak and staff. “Who knew modern medicine could begin to overpower my own magic?”

Slowly standing up, you gently tugged at his hood, revealing messy white hair and almost hidden bluish-purple eyes. “Merlin?” You asked, looking at his different getup.

He smiled at his name, reaching out to touch your face with a finger. “Why were you trying to keep me out, (Y/n)?” His voice carried a gentle sadness as he asked you, his eyes gazing into your own.

“I…I wasn’t. They were disruptive dreams, so…”

A small smile made its way onto his lips, looking down. “Ah, I see how you would see it that way. It is my fault, I suppose, forcing you to look at a previous life of yours. Trying to push memories into you.”

You tilted your head in confusion, listening to him. “What do you mean? This is a dream, isn’t it? How can you be here, telling me this?” Taking a seat, you didn’t care that your pajamas were possibly getting dirty, if dirt even existed on this plane.

Merlin took a seat beside you on the ground, looking out toward the lake that you also stared at. “I wasn’t lying before, about most things. I don’t normally go by Merlin, but to normal humans. You just surprised me, and I slipped up. When I told you about a girl that married off, I meant you. Well, the ‘you’ in a previous existence.”

“Is that why you pushed her memories to me? Merlin, the tutor of the legendary King Arthur, after some bartender in a little English city?” You asked, unsure how to feel.

He awkwardly chuckled, being caught and worded it this way didn’t suit well for him. “It may sound silly, but I still love her. After all these centuries of watching her live her life and die…I decided to be selfish this time, with you. I hoped that if I could at least remind you of the wonderful times we had together, you’d want to stay with me.”

You blushed slightly at the romantic setup, though it was hard to tell if you were frustrated that he barged into your life, or that he caused you to think you were insane. “Then why didn’t you just try to get me to like you? You don’t have to project someone else’s feelings onto me…I mean, you still showed up, didn’t you?”

“W-well, yes. When I couldn’t return to your dreams, I panicked. I thought you were dead, to be frank. I rushed to the human world to figure it out, but I was completely lucky to find a place so close. You are exactly like her, I couldn’t look past it.”

It was difficult, seeing how much he cared for someone like you. A magical being, legendary even. It was hard to process, especially when you were dreaming. You thought it over more before sighing. “Merlin.”

Startled, he tensed up, looking toward you quickly. His eyes almost screamed desperation, though you played with your hands once again. “Yes, (Y/n)?”

“I….don’t like being treated as someone you once loved. She isn’t me.” His shoulders dropped as he listened as he listened, though he tensed up again when you continued. “But…if you’ll have it, try to learn about me, instead.”

His eyes sparkled as he leaned in, holding you in a sweet, almost tight, hug. He smelled of flowers, the man in white. “I’d like that very much…(Y/n).”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This actually is somewhat based on the new neighbor that we didn't see or hear move in a week or so ago. They play beautifully, but we've been more interested in making up a character for whoever the mysterious person is rather than meeting them. It may be rude of us, but we also live in the day of COVID-19; many people don't want to be in a close proximity of others. Therefore, they're a mystery until we meet by chance.


	3. Gilgamesh (Archer)

You remembered the day you summoned him well. You recalled how he looked down to you and laughed, claiming how lucky you must be to summon him. The memory of you gently laughing it off awkwardly only embarrassed you now, as your heart bounced in your chest when he was near.

It wasn’t necessarily uncomfortable being romantically interested in him, though it did start when he protected you from a dangerous enemy servant, declaring that he would have to defeat him in order to even touch you. Sure, other servants before had told you this, but they certainly weren’t holding you in their arms at the time. You remember his grin toward the enemy servant before sending his signature attack.

Even when he had defeated the servant, he set you down gently onto your feet and gave you a slight smile. It warmed your heart and cheeks as he asked if you were injured, to which you had replied no. Maybe if you had given him a little white lie, perhaps he would have continued to hold you as he did before. 

It was then you realized he wasn’t just arrogant.

From then on, you had tried to make small talk with the Archer more often, though it usually ended with you being called for more work or something else. His voice and actions toward you never felt the same as when he saved you that one day, though you definitely didn’t give up.

“Gilgamesh!” You called, using his name instead of title, as you worked your ass off to be able to have the first name pass. He was walking down the hall of Chaldea when you called him, looking toward you. “What are you up to?”

He raised a brow for a moment as if he wasn’t expecting you to ask him with that smile on your face. His red eyes had seen it nearly every day, talking to him about meaningless information. “Off to my own chambers to view my beautiful treasury.” A simple answer that he could hope that you would accept.

“Ah, I see.” He was waiting for the second part of why you stopped him; there always seemed to be a second part. His eyes looked you over as if wondering why you seemed to find him every day. “Oh, on Tuesday, we’re going out to get some skill enhancements-“

“You want me to take part?” He interrupted you, making you freeze for a moment. Were you too obvious that you tried to spend more time with him? 

Instead, you nodded. “Yes, if you’d be so kind! It’ll be no problem if you’re there.”

“Alright then, call for me then.” He said, turning back toward the direction he was heading to. “I must be off.” Your shoulders dropped slightly before going the opposite direction, unsure where you were going wrong.

You jumped when Medb appeared before you. “Master! That look in your eye…” Her eyes peeked behind you before looking toward you again. “Gilgamesh?”

Heat returned to your cheeks as you were caught. “Is that weird?” You asked quietly, playing with your hands as you waited for her answer. Her silence bothered you somewhat, but it was more embarrassment than anger.

Seeing her without a usual grin or suggestive look concerned you. “You don’t know, then?” Her worry made your heart waver slightly as you gave her a confused look. She motioned for you to follow, which you hesitated to do before going with her.

Medb led you toward the cafeteria, where Arturia Saber was eating rice while ignoring the golden king beside her. You watched as she shooed him off so Emiya Archer could set down another dish to taste test a new recipe. Of course, this led to Gilgamesh getting angry with Archer, and in turn causes Emiya to become angry, food spills and the king of lions is about to summon her blade until the golden king takes his leave as if he’s won.

Scenes like this weren’t atypical in Chaldea, though you hadn’t seen the way Gilgamesh spoke to her, casually talking himself up to impress her. He had even reached out to gently touch the strands that hung out of her bun. It was absolutely the way you wanted him to interact with you.

Leaning out of the doorway and against the wall beside it, you sighed. Medb leaned against the wall beside you, a real friend when she wanted to be. “It’s better to find out sooner than later. He’s also a jerk.”

Your eyes met her hazel ones and you waved your hand. “You’re right, he is…I wanted to keep telling myself that he wasn’t looking down on me. I suppose he’s a king before a servant.”

She stood before you, lifting up your chin. “Hey now, then why don’t you stick it to him? You know, show him that you’re better!”

Raising a brow, you thought about the look in her eye telling you that this wasn’t the first time she’s done something of the nature. She did have many lovers…so you didn’t see why she would be wrong. Or maybe you were desperate to have that Gilgamesh from back then. “She’s a servant…do you think I could do anything to beat her? I have nothing against Arturia, even now.”

Medb chuckled before rubbing her gloved hands together. “Leave that to me, my precious Master! Come with me, I’ll help you as your loyal servant!” This made you question her, since she made it sound like she may ask for some compensation later. With this queen, that could possibly be dangerous.

When you were placed in the seat across from Arturia, you were surprised. As you said earlier, you had absolutely no dislike for her, as she was one of the most loyal of servants….and comparatively normal. Her green eyes met with yours and set aside her bowl to smile toward you. “Master (Y/n)!”

You gentle waved before Medb sat down beside you, both elbows on the table. “Miss Lion King! I have a favor to ask of you, for our lovely Master.”

Unsure where she was going with this, you listened carefully as Arturia gave her a nod in approval. “Go ahead.”

“How would you feel about a safe, simple kendo match against Master?” She grinned, making you panic slightly. It made you sound like you wanted to fight her, which wasn’t the truth necessarily.

Before the king could respond you looked toward Medb. “That’s your plan?! I’m a human, remember?”

“A kendo match? Why against me, though?”

Medb decided to continue without answering you, grinning in her cute way. “You’re a great swordswoman! It would be great practice for (Y/n) to go against you, since she’s been learning recently.”

Now she was just straight up lying. You sighed before running your hand through your hair. “Yes, but this wouldn’t work. Arturia, I’m sorry. I just wanted to prove to that damn Gilgamesh that I’m strong.”

Her green eyes were surprised by the name you used. “The King of Heroes? Why would you want to prove something that is already so obvious to him?” She spoke to you genuinely, not understanding what you meant.

Her words made you blush slightly again, making you play with your hands. “B-because it’s obvious he doesn’t think highly of me. I have feelings for him and I want to at least try to get him to see me for what I am instead of just someone who summoned him.”

“So you thought you could fight your way into my court?” An arrogant voice from behind you made your heart sink. Standing up, you turned to meet golden armor then red eyes. You felt like a child who was caught by her mother, your posture stiff as he looked you over with a less than impressed gaze. “To tell the truth, I wouldn’t mind having a strong Master. However it would take you far too long to reach any fighting talent to even catch my eye. I dislike the way you always pester me about meaningless things, asking me ridiculous questions with that idiotic smile of yours. You let your feelings get the best of you in every situation, and that will certainly be your biggest downfall one day. So don’t bother trying to gain my favor by attempting to fight someone with talent far beyond you. Honestly, you’re lucky to have summoned me, mongrel.”

He may as well have just used his treasury on you, every word was a noble phantasm of his, tearing holes in you. He nearly expected you to quit and escape after you heard the first part alone, yet you stood and stared up at him with that look in your eye that seemed to bother him so much. 

The prickling in your eyes wouldn’t stop as your throat burned, wanting to let out tears so badly. When the first tear left your face, Gilgamesh was quick to take notice. “Rid yourself of those ridiculous thoughts of however you view me. I’m simply doing my duty here, you just happened to be the one to bring me.”

Giving a short nod, you turned around and shakily took a step before noticing the multiple servants awkwardly looking toward you and Gilgamesh. The utter embarrassment made you run out of the cafeteria, escaping into your room. Tears had flooded down your face like rivers for what seemed like hours until you were tired. Laying your face into your pillow, the memory of his eyes looking through you mixed with the ones of the servants watching the whole thing made you wish you weren’t the only master. 

How would you face anyone again? Were there any other servants that thought that way? You laid in bed as you wondered about it, ‘you let feelings get the best of you’ seemed like something anyone with power would get frustrated over. Grief turned into frustration. Of course you were strong, you cleaned up five singularities without struggling. Of course, Gilgamesh had helped…maybe you weren’t that strong, and that’s why he didn’t like you.

You ignored all knocks on your door, pretending to be asleep if anyone called out to you. It warmed your heart somewhat that at least one person wanted to make sure you were okay. After a day, you had noticed someone left you a small plate at your door, to which you ignored out of your own depression. 

The next two days you rested in bed until you showered and left your room. Mash quietly nodded to you, the anxious look in her eye telling you that she knows what happened. Romani smiled brightly as he clearly did not know, though your rather serious look hurried him to tell you about the new singularity. You agreed to go ahead, Da Vinci surprising you by tagging along.

In the four days that you had been out of sight, the golden king archer’s days were not as interesting. Since the day he told you off and Arturia yelled at him, the other servants have been uninterested in his presence. Normally this didn’t bother him, but when it was clear that most didn’t even want to look in his direction made him pout in his room like a child. 

If he were in the hall and heard something, he was quick to turn around before frowning at the lack of idiotic smiles and chatter. No matter, he thought, you’d stop crying and bother him again as you did before. Affection was said to overpower sadness, therefore you’d be hot on his tail once again for sure.

However, he eventually counted to five days without any word from you. Today was Tuesday, leaving a grin on his face as he waited near your room. You asked him to join your team, so certainly you would speak to him to bring him with you.

“You!” He called to Medb, passing down the hall. The disgust on her face was ignored by the Archer, who crossed his arms. “Where is the mongrel?”

She raised a brow before huffing. “What do you care?”

He would have fumed if she weren’t royalty as well. “I was told to be part of her team. So tell me what’s taking so damn long.”

“Jeez.” Her voice was unamused as she looked up to him. “(Y/n) apparently rayshifted without telling anyone. Who knows when she’ll be back now.” She sighed, wanting to see you again to apologize.

“Gone? That mongrel left without taking me, the most powerful servant with her?” His eyes seemed much redder through his anger.

As he marched away, she sighed. “That must have been one magical moment.”

The once silent room was enough for Romani to start dozing off without having Da Vinci around to keep him up. However, the booming voice of Gilgamesh made him jolt up as his heart raced. “Where is the girl?”

“H-huh? You mean (Y/n)?” Shuffling his papers around, Romani pulled up a screen. “It appears to be Camelot…was there something you needed?” He asked nervously, not used to seeing another servant in there with him.

The golden archer stared at the screen, looking at your face. How could you not invite him? Did you really make that bad of an error to forget him? Standing behind the doctor, he frowned. “That so-called genius is with them. Consider yourself lucky that I will remain here.”

You avoided mindless chatter with Mash, more so focused on the task at hand. After many long days and nights, you had been more focused and prepared to fight since you brought a sword with you. The presence of your sword surprised your demiservant friend, and one night it caused Da Vinci to sit with you at the fire. 

“(Y/n), you’ve been more battle-ready this singularity. Is everything alright?”

Even when you tried to be more mature, you seemed to be wrong in someone’s eyes. “Yes, I’m fine. I just want to restore this singularity is all.”

She sighed at this, though she accepted your answer. “If I didn’t join you, would you have brought another servant?” Her questions seemed to press what you wanted to avoid, as expected of Da Vinci.

“Am I not strong enough to do something by myself?” Gilgamesh’s hand went to the projection button, preparing to yell at you for what you said. He stopped upon his curiosity hitting him, wondering what you would say next.

Da Vinci seemed somewhat surprised by your tone, though she could hear the hurt deep in your voice. "Certainly you are. You've cleaned up several singularities with hardly a weapon of your own."

You looked from her to the sword on your lap, unconfident about her words. After all, it would do no good to have the savior of humanity in a state of doubt. The thought of anyone saying something the arrogant-yet-honest Gilgamesh filled you with another type of sadness. Her words felt like a lie since they went against what you were told directly. "I did nothing on my own, just give orders and stand to the side. But...now I'll prove that I'm not useless."

The genius servant's smile faded as you spoke, unable to find any words that would change your mind. Poor timing this was, as she knew your enemies weren't ones to give you a break. An even worse time to need to prove anything to anyone. Looking into the sky, she hoped Romani could possibly talk some sense into you or something. 

Gilgamesh watched as you silently moved away and made yourself comfortable at your sleeping spot. Why was he bothered by your actions? Why was it that you were different now? 

Romani was honestly scared the next few days, terrified that if you did something the king of Babylonia did not approve of, the machine would be destroyed by his armory. The silence from him was also terrifying, as he didn't care for small talk with the doctor. He carefully watched you and Gilgamesh beside him as you fought your way through monsters and servants.

Red eyes watched your face after every battle, disappointed in the lack of damage you could do. Mash, Da Vinci, and Bedivere did most of the work, as powerful servants should. However, in the end, you were silent as you could not prove your strength no matter who or what you fought.

Your eyes teared silently some nights when you were supposed to sleep, unsure how you've made it this far. You weren't sure what would await you in Chaldea upon your return, the thought of Gilgamesh's absence crossing your mind. Perhaps he was sick of you as a Master and left to go back to the throne of heroes to tell stories of your weak body.

The king didn't understand why you didn't bounce back as you usually did when he would give you simple answers. He was sick of seeing your face, but he was starting to realize he was more sickened by this version of you. He wanted to see that idiotic smile again, specifically toward him.

The day eventually came for you to fight the King of Lions. You had been shocked to see Arturia, though you had expected her to be there, ruling over the most difficult enemies. This King was the same one that defeated you in the fight of love, giving you a better reason to fight. 

You struggled to fight the enemies you could, your hands shaking as you exhausted your energy slowly. You could at least take out the smaller non-servant enemies while they focused on winning the singularity. Monster turned into monster into monster, the scratches and bruises along your body stung as more enemies piled up.

Red eyes watched, leaning forward in his seat as he wanted to see you keep going. He wanted someone to come to your aid, as you were beginning to struggle. If you weren't so prepared to show him up, you would keep your mind focused on the battlefield, giving support as you always did.

You fell to one knee, panting from the exhaustion. Using your sword to stand up, you failed to see the King herself come up behind you. Blood poured from your mouth as you fell forward onto your knees. Looking down, you could see your mystic code was ripped. The blade that had ruined it was pulled out slowly, causing the pain to finally hit at once. 

The King of Lions stepped in front of you, her green eyes matured versus the pair you knew. "You are weak...and that was why you were so easily defeated." Her expression didn't change upon seeing you attempt to swing your sword poorly toward her. "Pathetic. They brought you here despite knowing this?"

Your eyes teared as you remembered Gilgamesh's words several days ago. You were certain he'd agree, the thought of him being with this Arturia sent you into darkness.

Gilgamesh was frozen as he watched the events unfold, the King of Lions being taken out by your loyal servants. If he had been there, you would not be dying. Hell, you wouldn't even be scratched.

Romani panicked as he prepared everything he could on his end, the emergency medics, the Rayshift, all while watching the grail being grabbed. Gilgamesh could care less about the last part, as he demanded the doctor for your transport back this instant.

The rayshift was run as soon as it loaded, just in time for the grail to be achieved by Da Vinci. Mash held your body tightly as she noticed she was back in Chaldea. The fear in her eyes followed your body out the door to get to emergency care.

Romani was prepared, running alongside you, trying to keep you awake. Gilgamesh commended his bravery to stand up to him as he was told he could not come inside. The king was still angry, though there was nowhere for it to be directed. He noted Mash's disappearance to her room with Da Vinci walking her.

He would simply await your recovery, as you weren't as dimwitted to die during a singularity. He would not allow it to be his fault to not check on you sooner. If he had, you would have invited him to join your quest. You would not be here this way.

Romani finally left the room hours later, waving a hand. "She probably won't be up for a while...but I'll let you go. I know you've been worried." With a small smile, he walked away.

Gilgamesh frowned slightly at this, displeased to be caught with feelings such as that. He decided not to say anything and go into your room. It was a boring room, something you would probably call dull. He stepped up to your bed, seeing the bandages wrapped all over you, some blood showing through some of them. 

His hand reached out to touch your cheek, but he stopped quickly. He was probably the last person you wanted to see. You were now someone he didn't like, and he didn't understand your feelings toward him. Deciding to find out for himself, he waited in your room silently for you to wake.

It was hours before you stirred. Gilgamesh's eyes widened slightly as he leaned forward, now out of his golden armor and into a casual outfit. Your eyes opened to find a blonde man with red eyes at your bedside, trying to place who it was.

"Gil...?" You croaked out, confused.

He was aware of the possibility that you couldn't speak too well yet, so he didn't seem upset by the nickname. "(Y/n), it's me."

Tears filled your eyes as you began to cry. "I-I couldn't prove I was strong..." You said through the sobs. The pain killers may have partially caused your emotions, however, he gently pet your hair to stop your crying.

"Incorrect. I was the one who made an error." Your teary eyes stared at him somewhat in disbelief. More tears from you weren't what he wanted to see, though it showed you genuine you truly were. 

"I thought you would leave Chaldea."

He gently wiped your tears as the guilt actually ate at him for once. "I'd never, you were the one to summon me. That means you're the only being that I want to share my power with. I watched you while you were on your mission; go back to the way you were before."

"But I pester-"

"Incorrect. I lacked having compassion, and I lacked appreciation for your attention. So please return to you. I won't be cruel in the future if you do." He said quietly before leaning down and placing a kiss on your forehead.

Looking at him in disbelief, you finally smiled to yourself. "Thank you, Gilgamesh."

After a moment, he looked to the side with a slight pink to his cheeks. "I won't be upset if you referred to me as that nickname. It is not so unfavorable when it comes from you."

You smiled as you realize that he's being much softer with you. "Alright then....Gil." 

A less arrogant smile from him reminded you of the day you had now almost forgotten, making you smile back toward him. 

Now, this day would be the one you remembered for life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gilgamesh Archer is a little difficult to write for, as he keeps sending Sheba to my Chaldea instead of coming down himself. I have Caster Gil, however, and I know he is the more mature version, which makes me think of Gil as the Shinji (F/SN) of Gils, where he is selfish, rude, and arrogant. I wanted to be more true to his specific personality. Also regarding Camelot, I just defeated Gawain for the first time and haven't gotten much farther, so I apologize if this is slightly different than the plot of that singularity. However, please enjoy this one shot.


	4. Diarmuid Ua Duibhne

Diarmuid was patient to say the least. When he was summoned by a woman, he wondered if it would last long before she was claiming her love for him due to the simple curse upon his face. In the first couple of days, she seemed to stare at him though never said anything more than what was needed regarding the war.

The way the woman stared before forcing herself to look away made him somewhat uncomfortable, though he could not blame her for doing so. He began to wonder why she wanted the Holy Grail, she seemed like any normal mage to him. She wasn’t powerful and she seemed to have a normal job at something known as a ‘law firm.’ 

Overall, the desperation she seemed to have made him curious, though he worried that if he asked, she would turn away from him as she had started to after just four days of being his Master. He could admit it somewhat hurt for a woman to turn away from him when he only tried to speak, though again, probably for the best.

He was surprised to one day be given a task from his Master, who stared to the side as she spoke. The task was that of a normal one, as she was too busy with her own work at the office to do it herself. Seeing as this task involved a different location, he accepted it as an opportunity to see what he could of the world of today. 

The man sighed as he stepped up to a house, not interested in meeting whoever was inside. He’d much rather go back out to the market he passed through before. He remembered his Master’s instructions to go bring a bag to this address and remain there until she was ready for his return. 

After a couple knocks, a couple children outside the gate laughed, making him turn around to see them trying to hide. “What are you doing?”

The kids must have been around ten or so, his voice gentle toward them for that reason. Seeing as he wasn’t yelling at them, the three came out from their spots. “Nobody lives there!” A little girl said, somewhat surprising him.  
“Hmm?” Why else would his Master send him here?

“Only a monster!” The boy giggled along with the two girls. “People go in there all the time and they come running out several days later! The monster will scare you next!”

Diarmuid was about to speak when the kids started screaming about the window. Hurriedly, he looked up to see moving curtains as if they were just thrown shut. He wasn’t afraid of going inside, though children don’t typically make up stories like that. Making his way inside, he noticed the dark entry way immediately.

He closed the door behind him and took off the jacket he was given to blend in, hanging it up on the hook. A light noise was playing from upstairs, leading him to make his way up. One door down the hall had light coming from inside, and he noticed the sign taped at eye level. 

‘Leave it at the door.’

The supposed monster must be inside. But how did that relate to his Master? Dropping the bag gently onto the floor, he considered his actions. He was stuck there for who knows how long, and his curiosity slowly peaked as he knocked gently on the door.

“Read the sign.” A voice called from the other side, the tone unamused. It surprised him somewhat, making him hesitate to knock again. The music turned off from the room and the suspense kept him interested. “Drop the bag and go away.”

He thought of the words to say, though not too many came up. “Ms. Miyamoto requested that I remain here until she needs me again.” He finally spoke up, unsure if that would change how the person on the other side would feel.

“Great…” He heard a mumble before silence. “Just leave me alone. Don’t explore the house, either. Just leave the house or something, I won’t tell.”

So his Master was someone you knew, that at least made him feel better. “So you’re the monster, then?” He asked, unsure where he was going with this.

“Yeah. So go away or I’ll do something to make you leave.” Again, unamused by his chatter. 

‘Master, I seem to be unwelcome. Should I leave?’ He couldn’t disobey her, though perhaps she would give him a free pass.

After several moments of no response, shuffling was heard before a thud. Interested, the Saber stood curiously a foot away from the door as the ‘monster’ inside stepped up to the door. “Did you really tattle on me like a kid?” The voice was that of a young woman, peeved at that.

He didn’t think she would say anything to this person, though the door remained shut. “I did not think she would tell you, I’m sorry.”

“Can’t you just respect my wishes? I’m not something you can gawk at! So just go away or I’ll make you sorry!” Your voice yelled out before returning to wherever you were.

He felt somewhat guilty for getting you into some sort of trouble. “My apologies again, miss. Ms Miyamoto is quite strict with me.”

“You and me both.” You said quietly, though it didn’t seem as if you’d change your mind still. “But you can still leave.”

“You can’t?” He asked, turning on the hall light. 

You scoffed at the gentle click of the light. “I told you to go away! Don’t think you can chat with me.”

“But why not? Or can you at least tell me more about Ms Miyamoto?” You seemed to know her fairly well, and it could give him some insight.

The question surprised you, as he heard the music turn off again. “Her? Not really.”

His shoulders dropped as it didn’t seem to make sense. “What do you mean, isn’t she the one to bring you bags of whatever this is?”

“Yeah, and you still being here prevents me from getting it.” 

“You can grab it, miss. You can’t frighten me if that’s what you’re worried about.” He didn’t see why he would get scared of a girl in the first place.

“Can you just leave? My food is getting cold.” Your voice finally seemed softer, on the edge of begging.

Guilt struck him as he wasn’t rude enough to go through the bag without permission. “Ah, I’ll go into another room while you get it, I’m sorry.”

“Fine. Just don’t look at me.” You responded as he closed a door behind him. He stared into the near empty office he closed himself in and waited for your door to open and quickly close. “Okay.”

He stepped into the hall again and looked toward your door. “Sorry.” He repeated quietly before sensing the mana from your door.

“If you were, you wouldn’t be here.” Your voice was cold as you spoke to him, similar to his Master’s.

“Unfortunately, I have a contract to uphold, miss….Miyamoto.” He took a risk in guessing your identity, seeing as there were photos resembling a younger version of his Master in the house.

“Don’t call me that. Did she tell you to call me by her name?” You huffed out, the least bit thrilled to be called by your mother’s name. “What is your name?”

There was no harm in giving you his true name. You were by blood related to his Master, therefore in high regard to him. “Diarmuid Ua Duibhne.”

Another light thud surprised him before the knob was grabbed from your side. “You mean the warrior? From the Ulster Cycle?” 

It sort of surprised him to hear you recognized his name. He was no Arthur Pendragon, and Japan certainly wouldn’t teach much Irish history. “That’s correct.”

“I…didn’t think she would go through with the Holy Grail.” You admitted quietly, making him wonder if he should’ve kept quiet about it. Then again, he wasn’t given an order to keep you in the dark. 

Before he could talk more to you, he was called back by your mother. He unfortunately said his goodbyes before vanishing off to her to prepare to fight. As soon as he was in her sight, she told him not to speak of you to her, leaving him frustrated through the fight he had with Lancer.

The next day, he was in front of your door again with the task to drop off your food and remain at the house. Was it to make sure you were safe? Or was it to get rid of him? You were a little more open to conversation from the other side of your door, even giving him your name.

“Why do they call you a monster?” He asked curiously after you brought the bag into your room. “You don’t sound like a beast.”

“I’m hideous.” You said simply, uninterested in that conversation.

“Alright…then do you know why your mother wants to win the Grail?”

“Yes.” Only simple answer, only making him more curious. 

He looked at the door again, wondering if you’d ever let him in. “I didn’t think women in this era would be so secretive.”

You chuckled at that, something he had never heard from you before. “She doesn’t tell you anything either, does she?”

“Not at all. She also rarely looks at me.”

“I guess we aren’t so different, are we?” You sighed to yourself.

He smiled a bit, thinking about it. “I suppose not.”

Conversation was much simpler from then on, ranging from the differences in the past and now to things they wanted to do. You smiled at your spot on the floor beside the door, carrying on conversation with him as long as you could. He had taken a seat on the floor as well, close to your door so he could hear you better.

He was rather hesitant to leave to your mother, who led him into another fight with Lancer and eventually Archer. After the defeat of Archer, he was pleased that things were going in his direction. The only thing that didn’t sit well with him was the fact that your mother didn’t want to speak of you at all.

The next couple of days he was sent to your home, to your door, to repeat the first day. The Irishman seemed to enjoy your company, having no reason to lie to you about himself. Eventually, it turned into him being more curious about you yourself. There were still no photos of you, your origins and current situation unknown to him.

“Why does your mother want the Grail?” He figured a question about her wouldn’t upset you as much now, though the idea still lingered. “She seems so desperate for it…has every little detail planned out. She even dated a letter for you.” He slipped the envelope labeled to open in two days from then.

You sighed, holding it in your hands. “Well…you’re helping her to get it, so I think I could tell you.” This made him sit up straight, paying attention to the door you were behind. “As you know, my mother is a lawyer. She was expecting me when she won a very tough murder case. The murderer was put behind bars, though he was also a mage. He cursed my mother for sending him to prison. He said a devil woman will produce a devil child.”

“A devil child?” He repeated, not completely understanding what you were getting at.

“Right. I was born with a red mark on my palms, which each day would get bigger. After two years, my hands became completely red. When I began to grow horns at four, my mother met with the man who cursed me. He said that I would die before I reach twenty-one years. After that, my mother left me here in her parents’ old home. She sends whatever she doesn’t want to see here.”

Your story weighed on his heart. His curse no longer seemed like one, as he could walk among humans. On the other hand, you were trapped in this house with your own death date. “She wants to wish for you to be human.” He stated, leaning back against the wall.

“And the people she hired to come bring you food had seen you. That’s why they ran and the children call you a monster.” Pity for the girl he had never seen filled him, the motive for your mother becoming more understood.

“Yes. She refuses to even look at me let alone come to bring me anything.” You quietly spoke. “She provides me anything I want…so I just sit in here all day like a prisoner.”

He was about to respond when he was called back. “I will return tomorrow, miss. Good night.” He wished to just stay with you, though he didn’t mind the fight now that he knew you were the one the wish was going to.

The disappointment in his voice reached your heart as he silently disappeared from outside your door. You stared at the letter he had given you from your mother, wondering if it was fine to just go ahead and read its contents. Placing it down, you went back to your computer until his return.

The days were long when Diarmuid wasn’t around. You recalled the countless others that were paid to bring you food and make sure the house wasn’t on fire. None cared enough to chat for long without having their curiosity asking you to show yourself.

The children who laughed and threw rocks at your window annoyed you more than anything. You were bitter at the fact that they could do anything they wanted yet they chose to spend it at your gate, taunting you. For a while, it was a game of how you could scare them, a simple movement of the curtains did just enough. Maybe they always came back for more because you did that.

Your sharp, black nails scraped your keyboard’s keys as you typed up your diary entry for the day, the most recent ones being so much longer than the others. Diarmuid was genuine, which you liked about him. Curiosity did reach him, but even with all the power he possessed, he did not try once to see you. 

The thought of him seeing your transformation made you sick. After all, you must have been repulsive for your own mother to abandon you in a lonely house for so long. The idea of her going through so much to cure your curse gave you an unknown feeling. Was it happiness or was it irritation? Did she do it out of love for you or out of pity? It was hard to tell anything anymore.

As Saber listened to your mother’s plan for the following night, he couldn’t help but think of her motive. This cold woman of the law was desperately giving out orders to save her cursed daughter. It was honorable in his eyes, and it was enough to give him the boost of strength required to take out his remaining foes.

As he fought, he came across a couple of close encounters, Berserker namely being the most challenging. With three against one, however, the servant was finally taken out before the last three servants were to fight each other.

When the other two were distracted with one another, he was called back to let them decide who would be winning their fight. Perhaps it was dishonorable to escape a fight, but orders were orders. Your mother was a smart woman, having to come up with strategies day in and day out. Pieces fell into place under her order, even if it didn’t require the Irishman to fight at all.

She was an excellent master and strategist.

He kept his mouth shut about her around you, however. It was clear that you had little care for your mother, though he expected that after your story. Once again, he chatted carelessly with you from the hallway, telling you all the places he’d go if he were able. Your list was just as long, which made him laugh. “Perhaps we can go and enjoy the world someday.”

For a moment, you went quiet, unsure why your heart raced when he said that. You attempted to imagine traveling with him, though you couldn’t imagine how he looked. With a slight smile, you asked, “What do you look like? It would be nice to imagine a face to your voice.”

He blinked at this, though it made him smile that you actively wanted to know more about him. “Well what do you think? Guess and tomorrow, I’ll tell you if you’re right.”

“Hmm? Why tomorrow? Are you leaving?” You asked, not wanting him to go. It had only been a handful of hours, right? 

Diarmuid chuckled at this. “I do have to leave soon, your mother has her biggest plan set for tonight so we can have the Holy Grail soon.”

“Then you’ll disappear…” You said quietly, unsure about the sadness that dropped in your heart. What would you do without him? Maybe you’d make friends on your own when you were a normal girl, but what about the friend who cared for you when you were a monster?

With a gentle knock on the door, he smiled slightly. “Don’t think like that, miss. Now come on, I’ll even guess what you’ll look like after I help erase your curse.” 

You had never thought about it, your black hair and eyes being all you knew for so long. The red horns from your hairline also didn’t seem possible to disappear. You wondered what he’ll think you look like… “Then….when I’m cured, we’ll know for sure.”

“That’s correct. I’ll lead you there, miss. I swear it.” You gently put your hand on the door, thinking of the man on the other side. You wondered if he was as charming as he spoke, almost like a prince from a fairy tale.

“Then…let’s leave it at a surprise then. We’ll aim to see each other soon, okay Diarmuid?”

“We shall. Good night, miss.”

The breeze from under the door signaled his leaving, making you sigh. You knew about his curse spot, but it wasn’t the reason why you seemed to feel different around him. As you stood up again, you noticed the letter from your mother again. Two hours until you were scheduled to read the note, obviously something she would do.

It was only two hours, so there was no reason not to read what she would say. It was two hours later somewhere, she would say. Opening the letter, you barely recognized the handwriting, though when was the last time you had anything like this from her? 

‘(Y/n), I have come to a difficult decision to win the Holy Grail War, which I’m sure you’ve learned about. I just want to say that I am sorry for being unable to come to you these past years. The guilt has caused me to do so many regretful things, for it is my fault you have lived a cruel life. But now I need you to read very carefully. At exactly ten o’clock, you must say the phrase below out loud. Afterwards, please read the back. Not a minute later, (Y/n), and do not move onto the next part until the first has been completed.’

Wiping a tear away from your eye, you didn’t realize how emotional you were about your mother. Seeing how strict she was, she probably assumed you’d listen to her writing. The back appeared to be gibberish, though certainly it held meaning. Reading further beyond, your hand shook.

‘The symbol on your hand now has Diarmuid’s command seals. Assassin’s master has been hot on my tail for too long, and the only way I could rid of him was by a dangerous spell to destroy both him and myself. Saber does not know this, I told him to go fight Assassin as a distraction. The last part of my plan was an easy fight between him and Lancer with you as his Master. Please know that I love you and I would give anything for you to have your own life.’

Your mother was going to sacrifice herself. What made her think this was any better, planning her own death? You needed to stop her, even use what magic you knew to help her. You rampaged through your room, tears running down your face as you threw on pants, boots, jacket, gloves, and a scarf, anything that would keep you hidden. A hat would be just enough to keep your horns hidden for the time you needed, though you just had to hope that you ran into nobody.

You had an hour and a half to find her. Your heart raced as you stood on the other side of the front door, the night air fresh and the neighborhood quiet. No children you noted, giving you an opportunity to use a spell to lead you to your mother.

Apparently it was far enough to take you an hour to get to on your own. The woods were creepy at night, though you could hear spells being cast not far off. You ran toward them, seeing them on the steep side on the hill, you panicked, unsure if you could try to slide down and help her or not. Your watch showed 9:59 pm, your hands frantically grabbing the letter. 

If you hurried now, you may have just enough time to keep her from destroying herself. Reading the words out loud, a strange sensation came over you before the seals on your hand glowed red. Attempting to run down the steep hill, you saw a bright light before falling and toppling down the hill. The world spun as you fell down, hitting sticks and rocks as a man’s yell rang across the sky. 

By the time you stopped, your eyes opened to see the surprised ones of your mother. Quickly, you covered your face, though with a shaky hand, she removed your hands. Sitting up, you realized she was also laying down, but when you looked, your tears flooded. The lower half of her body was gone, a gruesome scene before you as she continued to look up at you.

You cried as you pushed your scarf to her wound, denying that you could not save her. Her hand reached up to your cheek with a smile before her hand dropped to the ground. Your body shook as you stared into her lifeless eyes, picking up her torso and holding her close to you. Sobs escaped you as you felt her hair on your cheek, her skin becoming ice cold in the night.

“Get up.” A woman’s voice demanded in front of you, though when you refused to move, your hood was grabbed, yanking you up. You dropped your mother before meeting the eyes of a now frightened woman. “What the fuck are you?! You must have also killed my husband, you monster.” 

Her husband, the man is pieces not far off, was the reason your mother was dead. “You killed her.” You said, fury growing in you as you stared at this woman, who let you go upon seeing you angry.

She raised a couple stones, unable to throw them when you leaped at her, scratching and hitting her repeatedly. “Get off me, you ugly piece of shit!” She threw you off with another burst of magic, though was met with a wide ball of fire. She imploded it, fire spreading around the two of you. You leaped at her again, your fists surrounded by fire your mana produced. You continuously hit her with punches, scratches, anything even when she stopped moving, the burns being enough to burn through parts of her skin.

You continued to cry then, the presence of Diarmuid not being noticed by you. He remained quiet as he looked at your back, already having taken in the scene before him. He stood silently as you took off your hat, revealing medium-sized horns. “Miss.”

“I told you not to look at me…I’m a demon.” You responded, moving off of the woman you had killed. The fire on your hands subsided as you kept your gaze off of the Irishman.

“Let me take you home. Our job tonight is done.” He simply replied, stepping closer to you.

It didn’t matter anymore. Finally, you turned to him, your eyes meeting beautiful gold ones. You didn’t expect him to look so angelic…but as he looked down at you with that look and hand extended toward you, you couldn’t resist being helped.

In silence, he slowly picked you up and made it to your home in little time. You led the way inside, going upstairs to your room. Seeing you leave the door open behind you let him walk in, taking in the large bedroom you had. He looked back to you, seeing your appearance as you took off your jacket and sat down on your bed.

His golden eyes looked over the note you held out to him. Upon reading it, he understood why you left your safe space. He understood that you were his new master, and he now saw the note she left for him.

‘Diarmuid, please take care of my daughter for me.’

The written words lingered in his mind, even after he set the note on your desk. Another tear left your eye before he leaned over and wiped it off your red skin. You were too drained to swat him away. You were too drained from tonight, the events refusing to let you relax. 

It was stupid to ask if you were okay; clearly, you wouldn’t be after what you witnessed and did. Giving you a quick look, he smiled gently, crouching in front of you. “So. Did you guess correctly, miss?”

“Hm?” You hummed, trying not to look at him. You weren’t in the mood for games, though with Diarmuid, you felt comfortable in a way. “What do you mean?”

“You said you would guess what I looked like. Did I meet your standards?” He chuckled a bit, his trying to make you smile making you look toward him. Your dark eyes studied his face, your eyes moving from his own to the thick black curl in front of his face. Indeed, he was handsome as you had imagined. After a minute, he chuckled a little, a light pink to his cheeks. “I didn’t think I’d feel so embarrassed.”

His expression made you smile slightly, comfortable in knowing that this was truly your friend. “I should say the same. I’m sorry I’m not pretty like you.” You brought your hand up to hold your cheeks, the self-conscious feeling returning.

You were surprised when he gently pulled your hands from your face. “Nonsense, you’re you. I’m no coward to run from you. Even if you never changed, I think you’re beautiful how you are.”

Tears pricked your eyes as you leaned in to hug him tight. How long had you waited for someone to tell you something so simple? You gave yourself several moments to cry on his shoulder before looking at him. “Thank you…”

Gently rubbing your cheek, he shook his head. “We’re not done yet, miss. What do you say, ready to finish this war?” He asked in full confidence.

Taking his hand once again, you nodded. “Yes.”

The final battle was easy, just as your mother had said. Your Diarmuid defeated Lancer after a strike with his noble phantasm. You remembered cheering for your Saber before being in a beautiful reality marble. You said your wish, though looking toward Diarmuid, you wondered what he would do now. He could easily have anything he would want now.

You prepared for a heartfelt goodbye when your wish was being granted, sending you into darkness. It felt as if no time had passed while you slept, though seeing your room, you jolted up. This resulted in a headache, your hand reaching up to your head. You gasped as you felt your hair.

“A-ah…” You gasped, rushing to stand, though it led to a tumble to the ground. Rushing to the mirror you had turned toward the wall, you yanked it to see your reflection. No horns, no red skin…your eyes and hair remained black, though you weren’t upset about that.

You were a normal human.

The happy moment was short-lived as you thought of your Saber. Diarmuid was gone, his presence not in the house. Tearing up again, you began to wonder what you would do. You lost your mother, your best friend….what would you do alone?

Rocks at the window made you sigh, the idea of showing the children your true form not sounding as exciting as it once did. When they saw your face, they simply stared in awe before running from someone coming toward your gate.

A tearful smile grew on your face upon seeing Diarmuid approach the house. Running to the door, you met with him for the first time in your new form. You grabbed him in a huge hug, holding him close. “Y-you stayed?”

His hand pet your hair as he set the bag down. You released him so he could pick something out of his pocket. Your eyes landed on the note from your mother, the final page having been missed by you. You felt embarrassed at her words, though Diarmuid smiled. “I promised her I’d take care of you.”

The miracle that he earned…was used for you? Before you could let the guilt overcome you, you stared at his smiling face before wiping your face. It was obvious he chose this.

You wouldn’t be alone from then on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a bit different, but almost Halloween-themed, so I enjoyed the idea of this. Again, these one-shots are easily able to become short stories, similar to the actual story I have for Cu Chulainn. However, I don't seem to have the energy for anymore longer stories unless something is very clear to me. I recently pulled Saber Diarmuid and it truly reminded me how much I missed him in F/Zero. I look forward to his appearance in Camelot, and I'm excited to have just finished completely ascending him. Now, regarding Archer Gil, I just pulled him the other night in between games of Among Us and it has been great. Arjuna and Gil are both amazing archers, and I feel guilty somewhat for Archer of Inferno who spooked me twice in a row instead of Raikou. Also, I pulled Martha Rider today, so it's been a great time in my Chaldea.  
> Thank you for the kind comments about my Gil one shot. He means a weird amount to me, but I'm very soft toward him. I'm slowly dying for his racing tapestry.


	5. El Melloi II // Waver Velvet

“You know you can come to me if you need help, right?” You asked, watching the young man turn around in the hallway, looking somewhat irritated to be stopped. His eyes softened back to his childlike look when they saw you were the one to speak up.

Standing a few feet away from him, you watched as his gray eyes moved from your own to nearly anywhere else, a sure sign that he was up to something. “Of course.”

“So you have nothing to ask of me.” His hands were still at his side as he looked toward the floor. He shook his head, his chin-length hair covering part of his face. Stepping up to him, you took him by the shoulders easily as he was the same height as yourself, your past teases easily able to make him blush and stutter to make a comeback. “Did you think I wouldn’t find out, Waver? It doesn’t take much for me to know you’re going after something far too dangerous. Why do you think the Holy Grail War is so looked down upon? It’s nothing but a sham!”

His shoulders stiffened as he looked to you, his nerves shot as he had been found out. “I-I’m not going to get far as a mage without trying. Besides, Professor El-Melloi is going. That means it’s not really a sham…” The way he trailed off made you wonder if he actually believed that.

You leaned in closer, hoping to get your point across. “You don’t need a wish to be happy…if you could settle for just me?” A heat was felt on your face, though you couldn’t care less. “I don’t care what you say about your magic, I would rather have you here than never trying to stop you from killing yourself for the impossible.”

Waver stood, shocked by what you said. Sure, he had at times had the thought that you had feelings for him. From the day he met you in class to the times you stayed with him, tutoring each other, to just going out to the café to work on homework together. Though perhaps those moments seemed overshadowed by his lack of talent compared to your own. “I-I…”

“Please…don’t go.” You pleaded, pulling him into a hug. A kiss to his cheek made you tear up at the idea of losing your dear friend and crush. 

Slowly, he backed up, gently taking your arms from around him. He looked like he could cry as he looked to the window, unable to make eye contact. “I…I’m going. I’ll prove to you that I’m able to do the impossible…I’ll come back as someone more deserving.”

With that, you watched him walk out of your life. You wished you had the strength to try again, but knew it would be useless. After all, you liked the way he went out of his way to do as he promised. Though now you couldn’t be sure, unable to imagine him back at his now empty lecture desk.

The news of Professor Kayneth El Melloi’s death shocked about half of the university. Many rumors floated around of the crybaby student being in Japan for the Holy Grail. Other rumors said he killed the Professor, which was worse. 

You started that fight and ended up with a sprained arm.

After graduation, you were gladly accepted into a fierce position, similar to something of an official bounty hunter for mages. The training was tough, but a perfect distraction from your rather boring normal London life.

You had actually been on a chase with a troublesome serial killer when it happened. You let a coworker of yours know where she was running in the case you had lost her, leading to her arrest. Running into a dead end, a wave of your hand removed the false wall, revealing a glowing purple spike coming at you.

Moving left, you avoided your chest being pierced, though you didn’t expect it to turn around and hit your waist. It was harsher than the time you cut your hand with a blade during a fight with another enemy. Looking down, you saw at least two inches of the bloody end, though it began to fade into nothing. Quickly putting pressure on your open wound, the pain making you uncomfortable.

A low laugh coming your way was that of the twisted woman that you had been after, coming to see what her trap had caused. She couldn’t find you, you knew this. So you did something you would most likely regret.

The transformation stone in your pocket crumbled in your bloody hands. And you limped away, the woman none the wiser as you passed some coworkers. Letting out a soft noise, they ignored you, running to catch the dangerous psychopath. 

You continued to limp in your new body for a couple blocks, trying to at least make it to safety where you could transform into your human self again. Finally, you laid on the ground, unable to make your legs move any farther. 

You began to panic, the idea of dying as a cat without anyone knowing was trouble. You began to try to think of ideas when a tall figure stood before you, giving a sigh. Slowly, you were picked up and carried away, unsure how this would work. A vet probably wasn’t a good idea…

Without a word from the man, you were brought somewhere that seemed familiar, though thoughts weren’t processing quite right in your current state. The smell of herbs swam through the room, the magical properties causing you to fall asleep.

When you awoke, you were on his lap. Drowsy, you looked up at him, a stern, yet handsome man. He seemed to notice your movements, as he looked down and gave your head a small pet. “You should be just fine in a couple days.”

Sensing magical circuits, you wondered if he knew you were human or not. Maybe he just felt pity for you, though you would definitely have to thank him once you healed. You needed to find a way to contact work or your flatmate, telling someone that you were alive.

A gloved hand touched you, making you look up. “Don’t move right away, your wound will open up. Maybe I can have Flat bring something up for you.”

Lightly tapping a paw onto his glove, you weren’t sure how to tell him what you were. You gave a soft meow, though it just made him sigh. Maybe he wasn’t actually a cat person, or he didn’t find it impressive to be talking to a cat.

You let out a breath before laying back down on his lap, letting him pet you until he returned to his work. Some sleep would do you some good as well, especially as a cat, where anything was comfortable.

Hours later, you awoke to a number of voices coming in, though you weren’t exactly happy to be woken up, which your new friend noticed. “Great.” Gently picking you up, he carried you toward the chair, where he continued to have you in his lap while you could see the new faces.

The boys and girl gushed at the sight of you, embarrassing you just slightly at the attention, as if you were a baby. Being cooed at as an adult was rather tacky, and you were fortunate that the tall man was sick of it as well. 

“It’s not a kitten, and it’s injured still. Refrain from making such noise.” He huffed, making the three give you and him space. One of the blonde boys asked to hold you, causing you to lay your head on your savior’s lap in disagreement.

That didn’t stop him, however, as you were making some noise as you were picked up. Scratching him would only cause a problem, though boundaries needed to be issued. With a single paw, the man once again took you back before the boy could drop you. “Ow ow! Just as grumpy…he’s perfect for the famous Lord El Melloi.”

Feline ears twitched at the name, the memories flooding back as you took in the room. Was this Kayneth’s old office? You couldn’t remember…but you were positive no one else could take the name. Who was this man?

“Don’t make me sound like a senile old man.” He brushed his long dark hair behind his back before holding you up carefully in front of his face. “If I was a cat, I’d scratch you, too.” He muttered before looking into your large feline eyes.

It was then you saw something familiar.

Dark grey eyes stared into your own. The last time you had seen such a pair was all those years ago, barely under a decade. Though they seemed to have lost a bit of their shine, they didn’t seem as cold as he had sounded.

Your paw gently touched his nose, hoping some part of him would confirm his identity. Though there was no reason for him to be in London and not call you to tell you he was okay. There was also no reason for him to be known as El Melloi, the professor he despised. 

A tug on your heart was enough to be happy to know that he was here and had grown into a handsome man. You were about to give up on him when his eyebrow twitched at your paw’s lingering touch. Waver Velvet would make the same expression when you teased him for any reason.

He set you back on his lap, where you made yourself comfortable once again. No place felt safer now that you had a strong sensation that this was indeed the friend that had long forgotten you. The idea of having to become a person again worried you now that you knew it was him.

Perhaps he would turn you away. He had been a strong young man, though he tended to be a crybaby when confronted. This man didn’t look like he could cry at all, though maybe the war did that to a person. Either way, you made yourself comfortable near him whenever possible.

A couple days later, El Melloi came back into his office far too late for his health, though you’ve learned that he just lives here. He was a hard worker just like back then, staying up most of the night to do even the smallest of things. Though you would admit that he did more than he humanly should, as his little apprentice girl would come in and fix him up, keeping him in check. You remember comfortably sleeping beside him, though he wasn’t exactly keen on everything having fur on them.

Even now, he didn’t come to anyone for help. He continued to take everything onto his shoulders.

That night, he opened his window a bit, letting in the cold air. “You don’t need to be cooped up in here anymore, you’re healed, kitty.” Did he expect you to leave? You weren’t sure if you were ready to tell him that you basically mooched off of him for nearly a week. You also had the ability in multiple ways to tell him that you were you.

You gave a rather loud meow, which surprised him. “What? You can’t stay here, it’s no place for you.” Still cold to anything that sticks around, you noted. Hopping up onto his desk, you pawed at his hand. “You’re awful smart for a cat. But I have enough responsibility.”

Giving a low noise, you jumped down and behind his chair. A soft breeze blew through the room as you hid behind the chair by his coffee table. After a second, you heard his pen being set down before leaning to the side, hoping to see where that came from. “Kitty.”

“At least give a proper name.” You immediately said, though you scolded yourself mentally for the sass you gave. 

He stood up quickly. “Who’s there?’ His demand was strict, though he was obviously not afraid of whoever could have snuck into his office. 

Unable to hide, you slowly rose up, your hair and clothes a mess, the same way you had become a cat. “It’s good to see you again, Waver.”

His eyes met yours before turning on the light, trying to believe who he was seeing. Words couldn’t leave him, his looking over you slowly making you more awkward and uncomfortable. If he could even say something, you may feel better.

Suddenly it felt like back then, in the hall probably only minutes from his office. You felt the fresh emotional hurt from that day when you stood before him again. “It looks like you don’t have a lot to say, even now. But thank you for taking care of me…I’ll see my way out.” You quietly said, moving toward his door.

His hand gently reached out for you, though stopped when you moved. Your hand made it to the knob when he held the door closed at your eye level. You turned around to see him right there, in front of you, his eyes once again lingering to the side.

“You don’t have to pretend to care.” You quietly said, leaning your back against the door. “The past few days were enough to know that you were alive after all these years.”

The guilt once again made him wince, though you were surprised for him to pull you into a tight hug. “I’m sorry.” The two words pained your heart, though you held him gently in response. Your heart hurt as you knew where this was going. He would let you go and never say a word to you again. So is the way of a busy Lord. No time for memories. No time for you.

“It’s fine. You’ve gotten where you wanted, didn’t you? You have so many people who look up to you.” You told him, truly proud of what he had accomplished. Though the disappointment in your voice may have downplayed your genuine words.

Waver released you, though kept his hands on your shoulders. He looked into your eyes, almost as if reminiscing that final day. “I didn’t. I learned from my mistakes and lost another valuable friend in the process. I couldn’t face you when I returned to England. I had already let you down and I did not prove myself to be anything more than what I was. It just so happens I grew out of childhood.”

You understood his reasoning better than most, it was exactly what you could assume that he would do. “I waited for you.” You said, hoping he still understood what he had done. When he gave you that silent stare, you sighed. “You still need me to spell it out for you…well, you were gone. It’s been nearly a decade and now you’re suddenly telling me that you couldn’t prove yourself to me? I didn’t need anything, I wanted to grow up into the world with you. I loved Waver Velvet.”

A blush covered his face, his old personality coming back into play for a moment before he looked away to stop the heat on his face. “Wait here.” Watching him go to his desk, he pulled out a file before handing it to you. His eyes met yours as you took the file with a pain in your heart. “Before you go…take this with you. Do what you will with it, but I figured it was time to give them out.”

So that was it. He was turning you away without much word.

“Right…good evening then, Lord El Melloi II.” You said, using his new name. Leaving his office, you passed a couple students who were there far too late. You didn’t care, though, you needed to go to your home. You had your own life to worry about.

After an explanation to your flatmate and office, you were in bed when your heavy heart decided it was time for liquor and a trip down memory lane. The file was thick, you noted, and full of papers and photos. The contents surprised you, the photos of the two of you to the photos of Japan…and multiple letters.

Each one was dated, seeming so long ago. You took a deep breath as you read them one at a time, your name in his handwriting describing his trip and what all he was doing, even if it wasn’t much. Imagining him writing these letters for you pulled on your heart. They dated for months, years, and the last one was only dated, no letter was written, making you think he had run out of things to tell you.

Everything felt wrong somehow. You ached to see him again, even if he wasn’t as emotional as he once was. The trip there was a blur, the taxi ride felt less than five minutes long in your state of mind. You were sober enough to run up to his office, swinging open the door.

Seeing him asleep, you quietly closed the door behind you. Giving him a gentle pet, you noticed how soft he looked while sleeping. Not wanting to wake him, you made yourself comfortable on his couch, deciding to let him rest. Clearly, he needed it.

You jumped in your spot when you heard him jolt awake with a gasp. “Jeez, do you seriously need to be taught how to take care of yourself again, Waver?” You quickly covered your mouth, the sass toward him being something from a decade ago.

His eyes were wide as he looked at you, almost unable to realize he wasn’t still a student. You both were adults, yet you still spoke to him the same way after all these years. Waver watched you remain quiet and embarrassed, though he slowly began to form a small smile on his face, a rare sight. He let out a low chuckle, amused by what you said. 

“H-hey, don’t go mad on me.” You said quietly, pink forming on your cheeks. It really was like back then, though it was usually reversed, you making him blush while you snickered. Even now, you still had feelings for him…which was why you waited for him to stop.

Fixing his hair, Waver once again looked to you. “I’m sorry, (Y/n).” He said, standing up and moving to sit beside you on the couch. Grey eyes saw the file he handed you and he fixed his shirt awkwardly. “Ah, read them?”

You gave a quiet nod as you hummed in response. “I…wish I got these before.” You noticed the guilt on his face once more before reaching out for his hand. “These were just…delayed. The feeling is still there, isn’t it?”

His cheeks were warm as he looked away from you, making you chuckle. “What do you think?” He asked as he squeezed your hand as if he was afraid to let go.

“I think you should answer my request from all those years ago.” Your own face was warm at the memory, your heart begging for him to remember. 

‘Settle for me?’ 

The words had been in his mind for years. He remembered crying multiple times when he was stressed, wondering at the time if he should have just accepted your offer instead of trying to do the impossible. He almost felt himself tearing up at the memory alone.

You were surprised when he shook his head.

Waver looked back to you, one of his hands cupping your cheek. “I’m not settling. You’re not someone anyone should settle for…you’re everything I want to deserve. After all these years, you’re still the one thing I couldn’t face head on. But…” The words were failing him as he leaned in.

It was as sweet as you had imagined it all those years ago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies for being a bit late, but I did mean it when I said I would update whenever I had something new. I have about 2 or 3 started as well and I'm waiting on some more inspiration before continuing. For now, please take this. Most of this was actually written a while back, but after some TLC, it's ready to go.
> 
> Thank you!


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